As a group, Native American youth have elevated rates of delinquency and substance use. However, research specifically examining the etiology of delinquency among Native American youth is sparse. In order to fill this gap, this study utilized a general strain theory (GST) framework integrated with feminist criminological insights and an indigenist stress-coping model (ISCM) to examine the impact of victimization as a source of strain (i.e., interpersonal victimization, sexual assault, and peer assault) on delinquent outcomes (i.e., violent and property delinquency, alcohol and marijuana use) among a sample of Native American youth attending school (and likely residing) on or near Indian reservations. This study utilized secondary data from the third wave of the Drug Use Among Young American Indians: Epidemiology and Prediction: 1993-2006 and 2009-2013 study (N = 2,457). Partial proportional odds (PPO) models were estimated to examine the potential non-linear effects of victimization on delinquency while ordinary least squares (OLS) regression models were estimated to test the mediation and moderation hypotheses within GST. Models were estimated for the total sample and for males and females separately to assess for gender differences in GST processes. Special attention was paid to the role of Native American cultural identity as a moderator in the strain - delinquency relationship. Results indicate mixed support for hypotheses drawn from GST.

There is an increased risk in college aged students to engage in problematic substance use. The culture and perceived college experience endorse substance use, whether it is through alcohol, marijuana, or other related drugs. Students are susceptible to these behaviors that can later turn into addictions. Literature supports that this population benefits from the availability of on-campus support groups and services related to substance use. This study provides insight into the perceived effectiveness of campus-based services that are directed to assisting students with substance use. More specifically, this study explored the views of staff members that deliver these services in order to gain insight about how students benefit from accessing these resources. The data was gathered by conducting face-to-face interviews in which responses were audio recorded on an electronic device and later transcribed into transcripts. The transcripts were analyzed and coded for themes and concepts that surfaced throughout the participants’ responses. The results obtained demonstrate significant aspects of how services can impact the student’s struggles with substance use. Ultimately, this research builds on the need for this population to have campus-based services accessible and the importance of integrating social work practice to further assist them.

Magister Artium (Psychology) - MA(Psych) / Substance use is a worldwide health concern that has received significant attention as it is often related to deleterious outcomes. Various treatment programmes have been made available to assist people and their families who misuse substances, to aid rehabilitation and equip people with the necessary tools with the aim of preventing possible relapse. The Western Cape Province has been identified as experiencing the highest increase of substance use, with Cape Town being disproportionately affected. Substance use treatment and prevention programmes are therefore an increasingly important means of addressing substance use and related harms. This study aimed to explore the lived experiences of individuals in relation to the treatment they received at a treatment facility in the Cape Town area. As such, the researcher made use of the phenomenological approach as a theoretical framework as it aims to describe the lived experiences of individuals in relation to a particular phenomenon. Furthermore, a qualitative methodological framework was utilised to explore the experiences of individuals who received substance use treatment. Ten participants were purposively selected from an outpatient substance use treatment facility in Cape Town. Focus group discussions were used to collect data and the data were analysed using Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis (IPA). Findings suggest that there were various reasons participants sought treatment. This includes the challenges they experienced in both their personal and occupational lives as well as the realization of the negative effects substance use had on them physiologically. Findings also revealed that the environmental setting individuals were in fostered their treatment; the various aspects of the programme provided by the treatment facility had a significant contribution to their recovery and improved relationships with others; receiving support from family and friends were important in service providers treatment retention as well as individuals ability to identify the changes within themselves since receiving treatment. Overall, results indicate that the treatment programme helped participants in their recovery and enhanced personal relationships, self-perception as well as personal and occupational growth. Findings suggest that there are various reasons as to why people seek treatment and although this may differ, the treatment modality they were provided with contributed substantially to their recovery. Furthermore, this study will contribute to the literature and understanding the ways in which treatment fosters recovery, personal growth and relationships.

Efforts to increase employment rates through vocational skills training and job interview skills development have yielded mixed results. While initial studies of Job Seekers Workshop (JSW) found greater employment success for participants randomized to JSW as compared to a control condition (Hall, Loeb & Norton, 1977), a more recent Clinical Trials Network (CTN) study found no differences in employment outcomes between the JSW and control groups and the rate of employment overall was substantively lower than those reported in the early studies (Svikis et al., 2012). To better understand these discrepant findings, the present study conducted secondary analyses using the 2012 RCT dataset. It examined whether JSW participants engaged in more types and higher frequencies of various job-seeking behaviors than SC controls. The study also examined the relationship between JSW intervention dose and employment outcomes. Finally, the study sought to identify individual and treatment variables associated with getting a job. The results showed comparable rates of job-seeking behavior in JSW and SC controls. However, JSW intervention dose (number of sessions attended) was related to the likelihood of employment at 6-month follow-up. Univariate analysis found a variety of demographic, treatment, and psychosocial variables associated with becoming employed during study follow-up. Multivariate analyses found the most parsimonious model for predicting employment during the 6- month follow up period including being male, attending psychosocial outpatient treatment, attending more JSW sessions, submitting a job application, and living with a sexual partner or children. Future research should look more closely at barriers to employment and how to better measure client motivation to get a job.

Alaska Native populations have experienced significant struggles with addictions to alcohol and other substances. The Alaska Native population's access to treatment services is riddled with problems. This quantitative study served the purpose of identifying factors that lead to the prediction of successful treatment discharges among Alaska Native clients who received treatment for substance abuse at a treatment center in Alaska. Based on the theoretical framework of Marlatt's relapse prevention theory, using archival data, as well as a cross-sectional, quantitative research design, predictive variables of the efficacy of substance use treatment among outpatient clients (N = 278) were examined. Multiple regression analysis was used to assess whether adverse experiences, depression levels, social support, substance abuse, and sociocultural variables such as ethnicity, age, gender, mandatory/voluntary treatment enrollment predicted successful discharge in outpatient treatment. Results indicated that only gender was significantly connected to treatment outcomes. Women were more likely than men to successfully complete the treatment program. Several limitations could explain these results including the use of instruments that were not empirically validated, the use of self-report measures, and the quality of the assessment process. Results of this study could be used to focus on understanding and developing specific treatment modalities for men with substance abuse problems. Future studies should use empirically validated measures and a precise program of research.

Mexican-origin youth represent a large and growing ethnic minority subgroup, and have disparate risk for early initiation of substance use. Therefore, it is crucial to understand factors that can prevent them from the initiation of substance use at an early age. Previous research has identified positive sibling relationships, lower rates of older sibling deviant behavior, and high levels of family values as important protective factors relevant for early substance use risk for European American youth. However, few studies have examined these influences among Mexican origin adolescents, and generalizability cannot be assumed given the notable differences between Mexican origin and EuropeanAmerican siblings. For example, Mexican origin siblings spend more time together than European-American siblings, and are shaped by many cultural factors, such as traditional family values (familism). The goal of this study was to understand the potential explanatory and interactive effects of familism and sibling relationships on Mexican origin youths’ intentions for using substances. I hypothesized that sibling relationship quality would serve as both a partial mediator and moderator between familism and ATOD use intentions, and that higher levels of older sibling deviance would partially mediate and/or moderate the association between familism and younger sibling ATOD use intentions. I used secondary data to analyze 409 pre-adolescent Mexican origin youth recruited from a metropolitan area in Northern California. None of our hypothesized models were confirmed. Specifically, negative sibling relationship quality did not serve as a moderator (b = -.27, SE = .87, OR = .77, p = .77), nor a mediator (b = -.01, SE = .04, 95% CI = -0.12, .05). between familism and ATOD use intentions. Further, older sibling deviant behavior did not serve as a moderator (b = .38, SEb = .94, OR = 1.47, p = .68), nor a mediator (b = -.00, SE = .04, 95% CI = -0.10, .05) between familism and ATOD use intentions. Despite the null findings, this study has important clinical implications, including the recommendation to promote sibling relationships in prevention programs for Latino youth. There were several limitations of the study which are discussed along with suggestions for future research directions.

This study was undertaken to evaluate gender differences in predictors of substance use in clinic-referred, Hispanic American adolescents with substance use disorders. Individual (disruptive behavior disorders, depression) and family variables (family conflict, parental monitoring) were evaluated as predictors of the initial level and change over time in marijuana use, and gender was evaluated as a moderator of the associations. The study involved an analysis of an existing dataset of 113 Hispanic American adolescents (93 boys; age 12 to 17) referred for outpatient treatment for substance abuse and their parental guardian. Participants and parental guardians completed questionnaires and a structured interview to report on predictor variables at baseline and marijuana use at baseline and 3-, 6-, 12-, and 18-months post-baseline. Latent growth curve modeling was conducted to evaluate the study hypotheses. Adolescents reported high levels of marijuana use at baseline and relatively stable levels of marijuana use over time. Treatment and gender effects influenced the marijuana use trajectory. Girls exhibited more impaired psychosocial functioning than boys, including worse disruptive behavior problems and depression and lower levels of parental monitoring. Depression was negatively associated with marijuana use longitudinally. Overall, individual and family risk factors are associated with adolescent marijuana use in complex ways. Implications for intervention are discussed.

The purpose of this study was to investigate concurrent and prospective relationships between psychological distress and social support and substance abuse in a convenience sample of predominantly minority women with HIV in substance use recovery. This study involved a secondary analysis of data from a randomized controlled trial comparing a family therapy intervention and a group health intervention. Participants completed the Hamilton Depression and Anxiety Scales (psychological distress) and the Social Support Questionnaire (social support) at baseline and 4 months, 8 months, and 12 months post-baseline. Substance use over a 30-day period was measured by the Addiction Severity Index Lite, which was completed at baseline and at 2-month intervals post-baseline. A series of path analyses was used to test hypotheses generated from theory and empirical research. Results of the current investigation failed to reject the null hypothesis for the 6 hypotheses, and found only partial support for 2 hypotheses. Psychological distress was concurrently related to change in substance use only at 12 months (Hypotheses 1 and 2). Psychological distress was not related to social support, so there was no mediation of concurrent relationships (Hypothesis 3). Psychological distress was prospectively related to change in substance use that was measured 2 months after psychological distress was measured, but not change in substance use that was measured 4 months after psychological distress was measured (Hypothesis 4). Social support was not prospectively related to change in substance use that was measured either 2 months or 4 months after social support (Hypothesis 5). There was no evidence of mediation of prospective relationships (Hypothesis 6). These results were discussed within the context of relevant literature.

The purpose of this study was to investigate relationships between four personality styles and two important indications of HIV risk behavior, at intake and 3-month follow-up, among a sample of adolescents participating in court-mandated substance abuse treatment in conjunction with an HIV prevention intervention. This study involved a secondary analysis of data from a NIDA funded project (1R01DA011875-01, R. Malow, PI). Predictor variables included levels of antisocial (unruly), dependent(submissive), avoidant (inhibited), and borderline (borderline tendency) personality styles drawn from scales of the Million Adolescent Clinical Inventory (MACI). Criterion variables included number of sexual partners and percentage of sex acts unprotected, derived from the Risk Behavior Assessment (RBA). A series of hierarchical regression analyses were conducted to test study hypotheses. Analyses controlled for age, ethnicity, education, gender, intervention status, the three personality variables not central to the hypothesis being tested, and baseline values of sexual risk behavior, when relevant. Results from the multiple regression analyses failed to support study hypotheses,indicating that adolescent personality styles were not important predictors of HIV risk behavior. Results are discussed within the context of the relevant literature. Study limitations and recommendations for future research are noted.

Despite high rates of alcohol and marijuana use and dating violence among individuals between the ages of 15 and 24, limited research has examined a link between substance use and dating violence within adolescent samples. Moreover, although both problem drinking and dating violence perpetration have been linked to a history of childhood maltreatment (CM), few studies have examined the potential mechanisms of a relationship between these variables. The current study tested the predictive role of CM in adolescent alcohol and cannabis use and dating violence perpetration in a sample of youth with CM histories; in particular, we were interested in predicting the temporal co-occurrence of these behaviours. It was hypothesized that trauma symptomatology would play a mediating role in this relationship. Results demonstrated that only witnessing emotional domestic violence predicted the co-occurrence of substance use and dating violence; in general, trauma symptomatology was not found to be a significant mediator.